Other Voices, Ireland’s acclaimed musical event organiser, is joining forces with the U.S. Embassy in Dublin to curate a unique live event in honour of music legend Bob Dylan.
‘Dignity’, named after one of the musician’s songs, will celebrate the music and social impact of Bob Dylan on his 80th birthday – 24 May – and will be livestreamed to the world that evening at 8.00pm from the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.
A wide range of Irish acts will perform the American star’s songs, embracing the power of his music and introducing the U.S. Embassy’s Creative Minds initiative, which promotes diversity, inclusion and equality – themes that weave throughout Dylan’s iconic canon.
Dignity was presented by featured performances from phenomenal Sierra Leonean-Irish singer-songwriter Loah, whose career includes a series of acclaimed EP releases, television performances and a brilliant stint as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar in London’s West End.
Many of Ireland’s foremost musicians and artists will join forces to raise their voices in recognition of the legendary musician, songwriter and activist whose songs and poetry have touched the lives and inspired so many around the world – perhaps nowhere more so than Ireland.
On the night there will be songs, spoken word and collaborations from a diverse line-up including music by renowned Irish songwriter Mick Flannery and rising star Susan O’Neill, and an original piece from award-winning Irish writer Joseph O’Connor, with many more artists to be announced.
Irish and international music fans can stream the performances for free on Other Voices’ YouTube and Facebook platforms, while Tourism Ireland will broadcast the event via its US social channels.
Deerfield, the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in Dublin, was built in 1776, the same year that the United States declared its independence. It is located in the city’s Phoenix Park, the largest enclosed public park in any capital in Europe.
“The U.S. Embassy is excited not only to work with amazing and diverse Irish artists to celebrate the legacy of Bob Dylan, but to employ the Dignity project to further highlight issues around diversity and inclusion in both our countries”, said Christopher Wurst, Acting Deputy Chief of the U.S. Embassy Dublin.
Philip King, the founder of Other Voices, said: “I think that Irish people access Dylan at a profound level; we know where he’s been, we like to think we know where he’s going. Like many of us he embraces and rejects tradition at one and the same time.
“The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were living and playing music in the bars and clubs of Greenwich Village at Dylan’s dawn. They became, like many others, a source and an influence. As he says ‘all I ever wanted was to journey to the place that that song spirit came from’. He’s done just that, and with ‘Dignity’ we gather to celebrate the man and his remarkable work. May he stay Forever Young.”
